Excerpt adapted from John Smith (1608)
Arriving at Weramocomoco, their emperour proudly lying uppon a Bedstead a foote high upon tenne or
twelve Mattes . . . with such a grave and majesticall countenance, as drave me into admiration. . . . hee
kindly welcomed me with good wordes, and great Platters of sundrie victuals, assuring mee his
friendship, and my libertie within foure days. . . . Hee asked mee the cause of our comming . . .
demaunded why we went further with our Boate. . . .Hee promised to give me Corne, Venison, or what I
wanted to feede us: Hatchets and Copper wee should make him, and none should disturbe us. This
request I promised to performe: and thus, having with all the kindnes hee could devise, sought to
content me, hee sent me home. . .
Excerpt adapted from John Smith (1624)
At last they brought him to Meronocomoco, where was Powhatan their Emperor. . . . At his entrance
before the King, all the people gave a great shout . . . and . . . having feasted him after their best
barbarous manner they could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion was, two great stones
were brought before Powhatan: then, as many as could layd hands on him, dragged him to them, and
thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beate out his braines, Pocahontas, the Kings
dearest daughter, when no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne upon
his to save him from death; whereat the Emperour was contented he should live. . . .Two dayes after,
Powhatan having disguised himselfe in the most fearefullest manner he could, caused Captaine Smith to
be brought forth to a great house in the woods, and there upon a mat by the fire to be left alone . . .
then Powhatan more like a devill then a man . . . came unto him and told him now they were friends,
and presently he should goe to James towne, to send him two great gunnes, and a gryndstone, for
which he would . . . for ever esteeme him as his sonne. . . .
Excerpt from letter to Queen Anne - 1617
To the most high and virtuous princess, Queen Anne of Great Britain
Most admired Queen,
The love I bear my God, my King and country, hath so oft emboldened me in the worst of extreme
dangers, that now honesty doth constrain me to presume thus far beyond myself, to present your
Majesty this short discourse: if ingratitude be a deadly poison to all honest virtues, I must be guilty of
that crime if I should omit any means to be thankful.
So it is, that some ten years ago being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the power of Powhatan their
chief King, I received from this great Salvage exceeding great courtesy, especially from his son
Nantaquaus, the most manliest, comeliest, boldest spirit, I ever saw in a Salvage, and his sister
Pocahontas, the Kings most dear and well-beloved daughter, being but a child of twelve or thirteen
years of age, whose compassionate pitiful heart, of my desperate estate, gave me much cause to respect
her: I being the first Christian this proud King and his grim attendants ever saw: and thus enthralled in
their barbarous power, I cannot say I felt the least occasion of want that was in the power of those my
mortal foes to prevent, notwithstanding all their threats. After some six weeks fatting amongst those
Salvage courtiers, at the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her own brains to
save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to
Jamestown: where I found about eight and thirty miserable poor and sick creatures, to keep possession
of all those large territories of Virginia; such was the weakness of this poor commonwealth, as had the
salvages not fed us, we directly had starved. And this relief, most gracious Queen, was commonly
brought us by this Lady Pocahontas.
Notwithstanding all these passages, when inconstant fortune turned our peace to war, this tender virgin
would still not spare to dare to visit us, and by her our jars have been oft appeased, and our wants still
supplied; were it the policy of her father thus to employ her, or the ordinance of God thus to make her
his instrument, or her extraordinary affection to our nation, I know not: but of this I am sure; when her
father with the utmost of his policy and power, sought to surprise me, having but eighteen with me, the
dark night could not affright her from coming through the irksome woods, and with watered eyes gave
me intelligence, with her best advice to escape his fury; which had he known, he had surely slain her.
Jamestown with her wild train she as freely frequented, as her fathers habitation; and during the time of
two or three years, she next under God, was still the instrument to preserve this colony from death,
famine and utter confusion; which if in those times, had once been dissolved, Virginia might have lain as
it was at our first arrival to this day.
Since then, this business having been turned and varied by many accidents from that I left it at: it is most
certain, after a long and troublesome war after my departure, betwixt her father and our colony; all
which time she was not heard of.
About two years after she herself was taken prisoner, being so detained near two years longer, the
colony by that means was relieved, peace concluded; and at last rejecting her barbarous condition, she
was married to an English Gentleman, with whom at this present she is in England; the first Christian
ever of that Nation, the first Virginian ever spoke English, or had a child in marriage by an Englishman: a
matter surely, if my meaning be truly considered and well understood, worthy a Princes understanding.